Wheel



June 30, 1953 A. P. DOUGLAS. ET AL 2,643,917

WHEEL Filed Sept. 15, 1950 INVENTORS. aw A 00 AS 450M420 u. 71526Patented June 30, 1953 I UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE Q i V 2,643,917 Ii v -WHEEL I 7 Alvin P. Douglas,C1eveland,'andLeonard J. Walters, ShakerHeights, Ohio, a's'signors to The Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company,Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application septemu r 13, 1950-,Serial No. 184,621

This invention relates to an improvement in the structure of wheels,particularly Wheels for juvenile vehicles, toys and the like.

The general'obj'ect of this invention is the provision of a simplastrong pressed metal structure for wheels. w

Another object is the provisionof a wheel structure adapted tomanufacture by mass production methods at low cost. i

Another object is the provision of a wheel :ad'apt'edtothe use ofanimproved ball bearing structure.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the followingdescription and drawings in which i Fig. 1 is a side view in elevationofthe wheel of this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-seetion-taken along the line 2-2 oi l ig. 1. .v y

The improved wheel shown in the drawings comprises a tire It; a pair ofsimilar, centrally apertured, outwardly dished rim-flanged outer andinner disks l I and it formed of pressed metal, which are joined by spotwelding or other suitable means as hereinafter explained; a tubular diskspacer 13 disposed coaxially between the disks; inner and outer bearingraces It and 5 with bearing balls l6 therebetween; and an inner raceretainer sleeve or axle sleeve 11. The inner disk 12 and outer disk I]are of like shape with the minor differences that the outer disk i2 isprovided with a series of nibs [8 adapted to be 2 Claims. (01. 301G63)bent over the edge of a hub cap to retain it on the wheel, while theinner disk is provided with radially extending drainage grooves l 9.

In Fig. 2 it may be clearly seen that each disk has a circular flatjoining section 2| extending concentrically around the disk, a curvedrim fiange22 projecting laterally from the outer circumference of thejoining section 2 l. At the central portion of each disk an inwardlyextending bearing socket 23 is formed with a cylindrical wall 24 and ashoulder or bottom 25 having a central aperture with a cylindricalextension or inwardly extending tubular flange 26. The bearing socket isdimensioned to receive the outer race [5 by press-fitting, the axialposition of the race being determined by the socket bottom. As isclearly shown in Fig. 2, the wall portion 24 and the bottom portion 25of the bearing socket formation merge into each other at a curvedportion, and the outer surface of the outer race [5 is conformed inshape to the adjacent portions of the bearing socket formation. Theinner circumference of the joining section 2! is connected to the wall24 of the bearing socket by a web 2i which issuitably contoured forstructural rigidity and decorative efiect; i

The hub portions of the disk are held apart by the tubular disk spacer53-, which may be provideoT-with longitudinal strengthening :ridges 30.The ends of the spacer abut against thebottoi'n 25 of the bearing socketwith'the tubular flanges 2% extending into the end opening to retain'thespacer in position. The disks areheld together at the joining sections21 by spot weldsor other suitable fastening means. Alternatively, asshown by the dashed lines in Fig. la tubular spacer l-Sa may be usedwith ends disposed about thebearing socket walls 24 and bearing againstthe webs 2i.

tubular axle sleeve ll, which servesas an inner race retainer andspacen'is provided with spaced circumferential ridges 32 which axiallyspace the inner bearing races, while the ends .33

areflared outwardly against-the cylindrical and proper position, arethen fastened together by spot welding along 2 l. The disk part of thewheel may be painted at this stage. Thereafter the tire I0 is placed onthe rim structure constituted of the two rim flanges 22, by expanding itslightly and rolling it on to the rim. Outer bearing races 2| are nextpressed into place in the two bearing sockets. An axle sleeve, with endsunflared and fitted at one end with an inner race, is placed in asuitable fixture and maintained upright with the inner race in thebottom-most position, while the successive operations are performed ofplacing the requisite number of balls IS in the inner race, positioningthe wheel with outer races already pressed in place over the axle sleevein the fixture, fitting the second inner race over the top end of thesleeve ll, inserting the proper'number of balls between and upper-mostinner and outer races, and lastly simultaneously expanding the ends ofthe sleeve ll outwardly against the inner races.

We claim:

1. A wheel for juvenile vehicles and the like comprising a pair ofsimilarly shaped, outwardly dished sheet metal side disks joined to eachother on their inner sides adjacent rim formations thereon, each of saiddisks having a fiat joining portion concentric to the wheel axis, a rimflange extending outwardly from the outer circumference of the saidjoining portion, an inwardly extended bearing socket formed in thecenter portion of the disk having a cylindrical side wall and acentrally apertured shoulder, said shoulder being provided with anintegrally formed inward cylindrical extension about the aperture ofsaid shoulder, and a web connecting the said joining portion to saidbearing socket, said disks being secured to each other along saidjoining portions; bearing means in each of said bearing socketformations, said bearing means each including an outer race and an innerrace providing radial 2,643,917 I 'i r and an. inner race providingradial and thrust bearing surfaces with a pluralityof ball bearingelements therebetween, each said outer race being pressed into thecorresponding bearing socket against the shoulder thereof; a tubularsleeve with ends disposed about the cylindrical extensions on saidbearing socket formations of the disks a'nd bearin g outwardly againstthe bearing sockets in substantial alignment with the balls 1 of the twohearings to hold the sockets in spaced and thrust bearing surfaces witha plurality of ball bearing elements therebetween, each said outer racebeing pressed into the corresponding bearing socket against the shoulderthereof; a tubular sleeve with ends disposed about the cylindricalextensions on said bearing socket formations of the disks and bearingoutwardly against the bearing sockets in substantial alignment with theballs of the two hearings to hold the sockets in spaced relation; and aninner race retaining sleeve extendin through said inner races to retainthem in position.

2. A wheel for juvenile vehicles and the like comprising a pair ofsimilarly shaped, outwardly relation; and an inner race retaining sleeveextending through said inner races, said sleeve having a spaced pair ofcircumferential ridges against which said inner races bear inwardly andhaving its ends flared outwardly against said inner races to retain themin position.

ALVIN P. DOUGLAS.

LEONARD J. WALTERS.

